I Will Always, Always Protect My Brother.

"I have nothing left to teach you."

When those words fell upon his ears, Arata felt not the joy of graduation, but an inexplicable sense of loss—a loss he hadn't tasted in far too long.

It was just like the feeling he had back in the orphanage in his past life, watching the other children get adopted one by one, while no one ever wanted to take him away.

Although this tutelage had lasted only half a month.

Yet, Shisui's incredibly meticulous explanations, his unreserved instruction, and his habit of showing up on time every day while yawning had greatly changed Arata's impression of him.

Including the incident where he stopped Arata from erasing Itachi; he didn't resent him for that anymore.

The man had only wanted to protect his best friend.

That was right.

"I..."

Arata opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

But truly, truly, aside from "thank you," he really didn't know what else to say.

All these years, he had been completely immersed in cultivation; he was not skilled at social interaction with others in the slightest.

"Alright, then."

Uchiha Shisui noticed Arata's awkwardness and waved his hand, cutting off whatever the boy wanted to say.

For the Uchiha clan, sentimental words were a difficult thing to both hear and speak.

"I've already spoken to the Council of Elders. Starting tomorrow, you can return to the clan's training grounds. Naiki and those other little brats have already been severely reprimanded by Elder Yashiro."

He added.

After all, the training grounds within the clan compound were equipped with targets, wooden stakes, and various terrains; they would certainly be of help to his training.

"No."

However, upon hearing this, Arata shook his head decisively in refusal.

Originally, if Shisui hadn't taught him ninjutsu and various combat and tracking techniques, he would have continued to hone his abilities at the training grounds.

The threat posed by Root remained fresh in his memory.

But now, with the knowledge instilled by Shisui, combined with the daily training he had never ceased for five years, the two together were worth two or three months of training on his own.

Therefore, what he needed now was actual combat—true experience!

"You mean to...?"

Uchiha Shisui furrowed his brows slightly; he seemed to have guessed the boy's intentions.

"Yes, I want to take on missions."

Arata nodded heavily.

"But, we are currently in a time of peace. Unless you are a jonin-level ninja capable of acting alone, newly promoted ninjas must be formed into squads to execute missions."

Shisui also agreed with Arata's line of thinking.

All training was merely talk on paper; only by throwing oneself into actual combat could one grow rapidly. In times of war, 6 or 7-year-old genin were used by every village as if they were chunin!

The current environment was much better, and the safety margin for genin on missions was significantly higher. Furthermore, with the pressure from within the clan, he believed Danzo wouldn't be able to pull any more underhanded tricks in the short term.

Otherwise, even at the cost of the clan's reputation, Clan Head Fugaku would have to make a decisive move.

It was just that if Arata wanted to go on missions, the team formation would be very awkward.

Currently, the boy's reputation within the clan was polarized. The guys in the Military Police Force, who had long been dissatisfied with the Anbu, approved of Arata, and there would be no problem at all in pulling a leader for him.

However, finding peers of the same age was somewhat difficult.

The group of brats led by Naiki still remained hostile toward him.

As for finding partners from other clans who were his contemporaries...

Not long ago, this kid had just flipped over a group of genin at a training ground!

It would be a miracle if those kids didn't hold a grudge against Arata, let alone want to go on missions with him? Was he joking?

Shisui suddenly felt a massive headache.

"Don't worry about me, Shisui-nii."

"I will resolve everything myself."

Seeing Shisui's troubled expression, Arata said earnestly.

"But..."

Uchiha Shisui frowned, wanting to say something more. After all, the village's rules were set in stone; it was impossible for a little kid to change them.

"If I can't even resolve a small matter like this on my own, how can I talk about protecting the clan?"

Arata added softly.

Moreover, he already had other plans in mind.

If the village wouldn't provide missions, then he would simply take them elsewhere: to the Daimyo Palace of the Land of Fire, to the Underground Bounty Station, or to the smaller villages in the surrounding areas.

Most importantly, the prestige of the Uchiha clan still held weight; to many outsiders, awakening the Sharingan was a symbol of true strength!

"Hmm, knowing you have such resolve puts my mind at ease. It seems I was overthinking things."

Shisui scratched his head in slight embarrassment, a relaxed smile on his face, much like an older brother from next door.

"I really wish I had a younger brother like you; you'd be a source of pride no matter where you went!"

Looking at the sensible youth before him, he spoke from the heart.

However.

The next second.

"Hmm, I feel the same."

"Brother."

Arata dropped the honorifics he had used before.

It was not a hollow gesture of compliance, but a genuine, heartfelt call.

For these past few days, he had been trying to determine one thing.

How should he address this young man who had taught him ocular techniques and analyzed various combat tactics for him?

Teacher?

Senior?

Just another "brother" like he called everyone else?

None of these seemed capable of expressing the emotions in Arata's heart.

But, the moment Uchiha Shisui said, "I really wish I had a younger brother like you," Arata found his answer.

"Brother."

"Isn't this exactly what having a brother feels like?"

He had heard that Shisui's parents had also passed away during the war, and that he had been living alone for a very long time.

Upon hearing this call, Shisui froze.

He subconsciously rubbed his ears, as if he thought he had misheard something.

He clearly remembered the circumstances of Arata's forced arrival that day; although the boy had tried his best to conceal it, how could someone with Shisui's experience fail to notice that bone-chilling indifference and hostility?

But now.

"Brother."

Arata called out again, right on cue.

This time, the tone was even more resolute.

Shisui's eyes turned red, perhaps because the wind and sand at the edge of the cliff were too strong.

He had once envied the bond between Itachi and Sasuke.

But he had never imagined that his past envy would be realized today.

And Arata was far more impressive than Sasuke!

"Yeah."

He wiped his eyes and responded softly.

The feeling of having a younger brother was truly wonderful.

"Alright, it's getting late, let's head back. Since you've made your decision, you must prepare well. There isn't much more help I can offer you."

Once his emotions had settled, Uchiha Shisui said with a smile.

All the worries suppressed in the depths of his heart seemed to have vanished along with that single word of address.

However, Arata did not share the same optimism, instead saying solemnly: "Brother, be careful of the Konoha high-ups, especially the one behind Root."

He had never forgotten the other man's fate.

"I am always careful, don't worry."

Uchiha Shisui responded with a lighthearted tone, his face full of smiles, clearly enjoying the new title he had been given.

Yet Arata was in no mood to joke along; he furrowed his brows in dissatisfaction and glared at the other, thinking that this idiot brother of his didn't realize the severity of the situation at all!

"Fine, fine, I surrender, I promise!"

"I will absolutely, definitely keep an eye on Danzo's movements."

"Because I still have to protect my little brother, always and forever!"

Shisui raised his hands in surrender, the smile in his eyes deepening.